Hear the Chord

Chords in the key of A major

The key of A major has three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯). Its seven chords are A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯dim. Tap any of them, or play them in order.

  1. ×A1E2A3C♯Ex-0-2-2-2-0
  2. ×1B3F♯4B2DF♯x-2-4-4-3-2
  3. 4fr×1C♯3G♯4C♯2EG♯x-4-6-6-5-4
  4. ××D1A3D2F♯x-x-0-2-3-2
  5. E2B3E1G♯BE0-2-2-1-0-0
  6. 1F♯2C♯3F♯AC♯F♯2-4-4-2-2-2
  7. 3G♯2BD1G♯B4G♯4-2-0-1-0-4

Tap a numeral to hear one chord; tap a shape to open it.

The chords that do most of the work

A is home. D (IV) is the step away, E (V) is the pull back, and F♯m (vi), the relative minor, is the shadow of home. Those four chords, in some order, carry an enormous share of pop, rock and country songs. Bm (ii) usually leads to E; C♯m (iii) is used for color; G♯dim is tense and rarely stays long.

Key signature

A major has three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯), printed once at the start of each staff. Sharp keys add one sharp per step clockwise around the circle of fifths: A major sits between D major and E major.

𝄞♯♯♯
𝄢♯♯♯

The notes of the key are the A major scale: A B C♯ D E F♯ G♯. Relative minor: F♯ minor (same notes). Parallel minor: A minor (same starting note).

Progressions in A major

Press play to hear I–V–vi–IV in A major, then use the key menu to move it.

In A major, 4 beats per chord. Open in the progression builder

  1. IA
  2. VE
  3. viF♯m
  4. IVD
ProgressionIn A major
I–V–vi–IV
the pop progression		A – E – F♯m – D
I–IV–V
the three-chord progression		A – D – E – A
I–vi–IV–V
the 50s progression		A – F♯m – D – E
ii–V–I
the jazz cadence		Bm7 – E7 – Amaj7 – Amaj7
vi–IV–I–V
the minor-feel pop loop		F♯m – D – A – E
I–IV–vi–V
the lift		A – D – F♯m – E
I–vi–ii–V
the turnaround		A – F♯m – Bm – E
I–iii–IV–V
the stepwise climb		A – C♯m – D – E
I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V
the Canon progression		A – E – F♯m – C♯m – D – A – D – E
I7–IV7–V7 (12 bars)
the 12-bar blues		A7 – A7 – A7 – A7 – D7 – D7 – A7 – A7 – E7 – D7 – A7 – E7

Borrowed dominants: leaning into other chords of A major

A secondary dominant is the dominant seventh chord a fifth above any chord of the key. Play it just before that chord and the arrival sounds stronger, as if the song briefly changed key.

Mixing major and minor

Major-key songs often darken for a moment by taking chords from A minor: Dm (iv), F (♭VI), G (♭VII) and C (♭III). The minor iv (Dm) is the classic bittersweet move before returning to A.

Seventh chords in A major

Add the next note of the scale on top of each chord and you get the key's seventh chords: Amaj7, Bm7, C♯m7, Dmaj7, E7, F♯m7 and G♯m7♭5. E7 is the only dominant seventh, which is why it pulls so strongly to A.

Playing in A major on guitar

A major is one of the open-chord keys: A, D, E and G♯dim all use open strings, and only Bm, C♯m and F♯m need a barre or a partial barre.

Transpose a chord chart · How a capo works

Other keys

Key of A major: questions

What chords are in the key of A major?

A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯dim. As numerals: I = A, ii = Bm, iii = C♯m, IV = D, V = E, vi = F♯m, vii° = G♯dim.

How many sharps or flats are in A major?

Three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯).

What is the relative minor of A major?

F♯ minor. The two keys share all seven notes.

What are the I, IV and V chords in A major?

A (I), D (IV) and E (V).

How do I play in A major on guitar with a capo?

You don't need one: A major uses open chord shapes directly.

Every chord and progression on this page is computed from the A major scale and checked by the site's theory tests. Updated September 2026.